San Diego Social Venture Partners has selected Kitchens for Good and Outdoor Outreach to receive $25,000 each and many times that value in pro-bono consulting over the next two years to strengthen and expand their efforts to combat economic inequality, a growing problem in San Diego County only exacerbated by COVID-19.
In San Diego County, the top 20% of wage earners make more than half the income in the county and one in three households are unable to meet basic needs. According to the Center on Policy Initiatives data, black children were 2.5 times more likely to live in poverty in San Diego County than White and Asian youth and Latinx children were 2 times more likely to live in poverty than White and Asian youth.
Social Venture Partners’ commitment of financial support and volunteer time from business leaders in the community comes at a critical time. As demand for nonprofit services is soaring, a recent study by the University of San Diego found that 71% of nonprofits in San Diego are experiencing service disruption and over half have had to cut staff or reduce pay
or hours.
Kitchens for Good connects over 2,000 youth each year from under-resourced communities to the transformative power of the outdoors, as a space to build resilience, confidence, and leadership skills to help them succeed in school and life. Outdoor Outreach Executive Director Ben McCue said the group’s instructors have stayed in weekly touch with students during the pandemic and, with public spaces reopening, will be re-starting outdoor programs. “With 20 years of experience in helping young people realize their power and passion, we know our work to overcome obstacles to income inequality has never been more important,’’ McCue said. “Working with Social Venture Partners will help strengthen our work to support the development of resilient youth, confident in their power to make a difference."
Outdoor Outreach connects over 2,000 youth each year from under-resourced communities to the transformative power of the outdoors, as a space to build resilience, confidence, and leadership skills to help them succeed in school and life. Outdoor Outreach Executive Director Ben McCue said the group’s instructors have stayed in weekly touch with students during the pandemic and, with public spaces reopening, will be re-starting outdoor programs. “With 20 years of experience in helping young people realize their power and passion, we know our work to overcome obstacles to income inequality has never been more important,’’ McCue said. “Working with Social Venture Partners will help strengthen our work to support the development of resilient youth, confident in their power to make a difference."
Social Venture Partners is a group of local professionals who donate their money and expertise to help nonprofits become successful, sustainable and resilient. Executive Director Sierra Visher said, "Economic inequality continues to worsen nationally and here in San Diego. These two innovative and successful organizations are helping the most marginalized in our community access more economic opportunities. Our Partners want to help Kitchens for Good and Outdoor Outreach have an even bigger impact so that they can help more San Diegans now and for years to come.”
About Social Venture Partners: The San Diego chapter is part of a worldwide network of 3,200 volunteers, called Partners, who donate their money and professional expertise to nonprofits to strengthen their capabilities and expand their impact.